Yesterday, the radio opera was “Die Meistersinger von Nuremburg,” the only comedy written by Richard Wagner (who is most famous for the Ring Cycle.) It has a happy ending – and it also does have a few punch lines along the way (it absolutely skewerss pedants who narrowly concentrate on the letter of rules and cannot see beyond that to the spirit – which makes it pretty appropriate for the week – think of Alito.) Probably the best known highlight is the tenot aria “Walther’s Prize Song,” but the second best would be the aria “Wahn!” sung by the character of Hans Sachs (who was a real person) which loosely translates to “The whole world is nuts.” Which also makes it appropriate for the present day.
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Short Takes –
The Daily Beast – Cop Arrested After Allegedly Masturbating in Family’s Home During Service Call
Quote – It was not immediately clear what kind of call Officer Matthew Dominguez had been summoned to address, but sources told NBC Bay Area earlier this week that he had been caught by members of the family who walked in on him during the act. Dominguez, 32, has been placed on leave pending an investigation into the alleged incident
Click through for story – News of the Weird.
Marine Link – Linda Fagan Confirmed as First Woman USCG Commandant
Quote – Nominated for the role by President Joe Biden in April, Fagan will succeed Adm. Karl Schultz as head of the Coast Guard. Schultz, who has been Coast Guard Commandant since 2018, will retire at the end of this month. A change of command ceremony is scheduled to take place on June 1. Fagan became the first woman four-star admiral in the service when she took over as vice commandant in June 2021. Fagan is also the Coast Guard’s first-ever Gold Ancient Trident, as the officer with the longest service record in the marine safety field.
Click through for details. Another step forward in getting the upper echelons to look like America.
The New Yorker – Samuel Alito’s “Amelia Bedelia” Reading of the Constitution
Quote – Amelia Bedelia is a housekeeper who goes to work for a rich couple. They give her instructions—dust the furniture, draw the drapes, put out the lights—that Amelia, being extremely literal-minded, interprets exactly the wrong way. She pours dust on the furniture; draws a picture of the drapes; puts all the lights outside. The couple comes home to the chaos, and resolves to fire poor Amelia—until they taste a pie that she has made. It is so delicious that they can’t bear to let her go.
Click through for explication. Fabio Bertoni nails it – except that Alito has no talent so remarkable that sane people wouldn’t let him go.
Food For Thought
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